That's such great news that you got through and they have the relief program available! For anyone else still struggling with this - I'd also recommend checking if your school has a student emergency fund or hardship grants through the Dean of Students office. Sometimes these are separate from financial aid and can be processed faster. Also, if you're dealing with private landlords for off-campus housing, try contacting your school's off-campus housing office - many have relationships with local landlords and can help advocate for payment deferrals when students are waiting for aid. The key really seems to be being specific about the FAFSA delays when you're asking for help!

As someone who went through this exact situation last year (though not due to FAFSA delays), I want to emphasize how important it is to get everything in writing when you're requesting deferrals or extensions. When I contacted our apartment management company, they initially said they could waive late fees, but then later claimed they had no record of our conversation. Having email confirmations saved us from a $150 late fee. Also, for the health insurance specifically - most university health plans have a grace period that's not well advertised. When I called our student health services, they told me there's actually a 10-day grace period after the due date before coverage is suspended, which bought us extra time. Don't just assume the posted due date is the absolute deadline!

just wondering did either school give u merit scholarships yet? sometimes they send those separate from need-based aid and u can at least compare those while waiting

I went through this exact situation two years ago with my twins! Here's what actually worked: I called both financial aid offices and explained I had twins with overlapping but conflicting deadlines at different schools. I asked to speak directly with a financial aid director, not just the front desk staff. The key phrase that got results was: "I need to make an informed financial decision for my family, and these timeline conflicts make that impossible." One school moved up their aid release by a week, and the other granted a 10-day extension on the commitment deadline. Also - document everything in writing! Send follow-up emails after every phone call summarizing what was discussed and any commitments made. This saved us when one school tried to backtrack on their timeline promise. Don't give up - squeaky wheel gets the grease, and most schools genuinely want to help families make informed decisions.

Something else to consider - Spring enrollment sometimes has different/fewer scholarship opportunities than Fall. Some institutional scholarships are only awarded to students starting in the Fall semester. Has your daughter considered waiting until Fall 2025 instead? She might qualify for more aid packages that way.

Just wanted to add that you should also check if your state has any specific FAFSA deadlines that are earlier than the federal ones. Some states award aid on a first-come, first-served basis and can run out of funding surprisingly early in the cycle. Also, since you mentioned this is your first time with FAFSA, make sure you're using the official site (studentaid.gov) - there are a lot of scam sites that charge fees for something that should be completely free. The whole process can definitely feel overwhelming at first, but you're asking all the right questions!

One more tip - when you're communicating with financial aid offices, be very specific about the dollar amount difference. For example, "Our 2023 income was $85,000, but $14,000 was temporary COVID hazard pay. Our projected 2024 income is $71,000." This specificity helps financial aid officers process your appeal more efficiently. Also, start this process early! Many schools have deadlines for special circumstance appeals, and they can run out of institutional funds if you wait until late in the cycle.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this process recently. When my daughter applied for the 2024-25 school year, we had a similar situation with my spouse's temporary pandemic-related income boost in 2022. A few things that really helped us: 1. Create a simple one-page summary document showing the income comparison (2023 vs projected 2024) that you can attach to each school's appeal 2. Keep copies of EVERYTHING - pay stubs, employer letters, tax forms. Some schools asked for additional documentation weeks later 3. Don't be discouraged if one school denies your appeal - each has different policies and available funds We ended up getting adjustments from 3 out of 5 schools she applied to, which made a huge difference in her final aid packages. The key is being organized and persistent. Good luck!

Update: FINALLY saw movement! Our application from March 17th just updated today with a processed date of March 25th. So there's a roughly 8-day processing time happening right now. Check your portals everyone!

Just wanted to add my experience - submitted March 19th and still stuck in processing. This thread is actually making me feel better knowing it's not just us! I've been refreshing the portal obsessively every day. My son has to commit to his college by May 1st and we really need to know what financial aid he's getting. Going to try contacting the schools directly like some of you suggested. Thanks for sharing all this info - at least now I know we're not alone in this mess!